The present invention relates in general to computerized accounting systems, and more particularly to a pseudo monetary system in which a prepayment or authorization is initially exchanged for a bar-coded wristband, and subsequent financial transactions are carried out in association with the use of the wristband and debiting the corresponding account by the value of the financial transaction.
The time honored system of exchanging cash or legal tender for goods and services is an established custom, and is widely accepted for final payment. Over time, personal business checks have become a customary manner for payment of goods and services without the use of cash.
Even more recently, credit cards have become the recognized technique for purchasing goods and services on credit, and for later payment thereof to the credit card issuing company.
While the foregoing methods of payment represent an established and accepted method for purchasing goods or services, certain shortcomings exist. For example, there exists certain abuses in the use of checks or credit cards which operate to the detriment of businesses. For example, checks and credit cards may be stolen or be worthless and thus uncollectible. Checks can be written with insufficient account funds, thereby providing a business risk to entities accepting the same. Among other disadvantages, certain situations exist in which cash, credit cards or checks cannot be easily carried or used due to the nature of the environment. For instance, in water parks, beaches, bars and in similar environments, it is difficult to conveniently carry cash, checks or credit cards on the person. Nevertheless, in such environments, there is often the opportunity to purchase goods and services which require the exchange of money, a promise to pay, or an authorization to use a credit card for subsequent payment to the vendor. Not only does the use of cash or checks present the opportunity for destruction due to water, there is always the risk of loss due to the inability to safely carry the same in bathing suits and the like. The problem is exacerbated with the use of money by children where currency and change can often be lost, and at the very least, the accountability of financial transactions to assure that the proper change has been received.
Certain of the foregoing problems have been addressed by employing credit cards that are specially issued for particular limited uses, and are limited for a specific period of time. For example, ocean cruise ships utilize a special issue credit card to passengers for purchasing goods and services provided on the ship and only for the duration of the cruise. The special issue credit card is issued after taking an imprint of the passenger""s major credit card, to provide authorization for securing final payment through the issuing major credit card company.
Thereafter, the passenger can use the special issue credit card without having to carry cash, personal checks or traveler""s checks. The disadvantage to such system is that the special issue credit card can yet be misplaced or stolen, and thus used by an unauthorized person. A computer system is believed to be used with the special issue credit card to totalize the sales transactions so that final payment can be obtained from the major credit card issuer.
In view of the foregoing, it can be seen that a need exists for a pseudo monetary system where cash, checks or credit cards are not required to be carried at all times, but yet where financial transactions can be readily carried out. A further need exists for a pseudo monetary system where an initial payment or authorization is exchanged in return for a device which, itself has no monetary value, but which is only a medium of associating an account in a data base with transactions where the prepayment or authorized amount is reduced or debited. A further need exists for a pseudo monetary system in which it is difficult to lose or subject to destruction the device, but when lost or destroyed, the device cannot be used by others to debit the prepaid or authorized amount.
According to the invention, a pseudo monetary system is described, wherein a wristband or similar device is initially exchanged for a prepayment or an authorization or promise to pay, and subsequent transactions by the person wearing the wristband are debited against the initial prepayment. If a transaction involves an amount that exceeds a current balance associated with the prepayment, such transaction can either be prevented from occurring, or can be carried out based on an authorized override by-operators of the system.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a waterproof wristband is exchanged for a specified prepayment of money made by cash, or by authorization to pay made by credit card or other acceptable means. The wristband includes at least one bar code that represents a unique number. Further, the wristband has an adhesive section for securing around the wrist of a person. Security slits in the adhesive area prevent the removal of the wristband without destruction thereof. In the preferred form of the invention, the wristband also includes a human-readable number that is identical to the number encoded in the bar code. The identification of the wristband can be quickly acquired either by scanning the bar code of the wristband, or visually by reading the human readable number.
Associated with the wristband of the invention is a computerized accounting system having a central data base connected by a local area network to plural stations having purchase transaction equipment. The computerized accounting system is programmed to initially read the wristband bar code on the issuance thereof, and associate the number with a calendar date of issuance, an account number, the amount of prepayment, and other information. On each subsequent financial transaction involving the wristband, the wristband is again scanned, whereupon the bar code identification number is cross-referenced to the account number and the calendar date. If the issue date of the wristband differs from the date of the present transaction, the transaction cannot be carried out. Further, if the amount of purchase of the goods and services exceeds the current balance of the account, the transaction cannot be completed, except for certain circumstances. If, on the other hand, the date of wristband issuance matches the date of the transaction, and if the purchase amount does not exceed the current balance of the account, the transaction is allowed to continue, whereupon the current balance is debited by the purchase amount. The transactions can routinely continue throughout the day without the use of cash, credit cards or checks, until the purchase amount exceeds the current balance.
Wristbands that have been lost or indicate destruction by removal thereof are voided by the operator of the transaction station, thus providing a degree of additional security to persons who may have inadvertently lost the wristband.
The computerized accounting system is further programmed to provide reconciliation of accounts at the end of the day by refunding unused amounts of cash prepayments, and reconciling credit card accounts to the actual amount spent and thereby bill the credit card companies appropriately. Credit card accounts are automatically reconciled at the end of the day, while cash accounts can be reconciled only on request by the participant and the surrender of the wristband.